The Popular Crunchy Vegetable That Didn't Exist When Your Grandparents Were Growing Up

Baby carrots are a snack that's both satisfyingly healthy and convenient enough to eat straight out of the bag. They're the perfect mindless munch, a great addition to party platters, and the easiest thing to throw inside a kid's lunchbox — just like your mom did when you were growing up. But ask your grandparents about baby carrots, and you'll probably be met with a blank stare. Because baby carrots didn't exist until the mid-'80s, when a farmer stuck with a bunch of imperfect vegetables came up with a genius idea.

In 1986, a California carrot farmer named Mike Yurosek was facing a huge food waste problem. Every day, up to 400 tons of perfectly good carrots were tossed aside, deemed unfit for sale because they were bent, broken, or just "ugly." But rather than waste bushels upon bushels of perfectly good carrots, Yurosek came up with the idea of turning these imperfect carrots into prettier products to entice grocers.

To do this, he used an industrial green bean cutter to cut the carrots into 2-inch pieces and a potato peeler to strip the peel and round out the blunt edges. And the end product was such a massive success that it wasn't long until other farmers followed suit. Within a year, USDA data cited by The Washington Post showed that American carrot consumption had increased by 30%, which appears to be a reflection of just how popular baby carrots were. But then, what exactly made them such a hit?

There are many possible explanations for why baby carrots became an instant success. For one, their mid-'80s debut coincided with the rise of low-fat diets, which led Americans to look for healthier food options. But baby carrots' appeal wasn't just a byproduct of health trends, as they also helped people see that carrots weren't just cooking ingredients, but a legitimately healthy snack option. Plus, it didn't hurt that their convenience made them easy lunchbox additions and mid-day snacks, with zero prep time and minimal hassle. 

Of course, baby carrots aren't perfect. There are some reasons why you should think twice before buying baby carrots, including the fact that they're more prone to drying out without a protective peel. This is why they often come in sealed bags with some moisture to keep them fresh and prevent the (harmless) white film you sometimes see on your carrots. If they're in this water for a long time, though, they can become slimy and you should probably throw them out. But as long as you eat them before the slime sets in, they're definitely still a convenient and healthy snack worth keeping around.